Career even without studies

Süderländer Tageblatt of 14 March 2019 (Text by Jona Wiechowski)
Plettenberg – Today you don’t need to study to make a career. And even if the grades are not above average, you have a good chance of finding a job in a company. How the search for trainees has changed in recent years has now been discussed by representatives of the Agentur für Arbeit with the mayor and the Westfälische Stahlgesellschaft (WS) / Ziehwerk, which sets a good example. The most important points.

The problem
There are more jobs than applicants. While this is almost a luxury for applicants („you can choose the jobs“), it poses a big challenge to companies, said Carsten Plate from the Employment Agency. „There are 1.3 jobs per applicant,“ he explained. Companies need to come up with new ways to attract candidates. „The Westfälische Stahlgesellschaft reacted well,“ Plate praised. The managing partner Dr. Markus Krummenerl confirmed that the company had changed a lot in this respect.

Recruiting
The company actively approaches potential applicants. „We used to sit and wait here,“ explained Krummenerl. Those who want to has successfully completed his studies at WS, has a good chance of being taken over. This would have given the company „excellent experience“. There are many reasons for this: The trainees know the company, the work and the employees. „And we already know the people,“ explains Krummenerl. Current and important: WS also trains the IT department itself. Computer scientists are hard to find on the free market.

The recruitment criteria themselves have also changed. A few years ago, it was still possible to choose from several students with grades in the ‚one‘ and ‚two‘ range, but today this is a luxury problem. „We have to expand our search grid,“ says Krummenerl. This means that even people who have three and four on their testimony are invited for talks today. Also with the curriculum vitae it is more relaxed today. In former times a straightforward and complete curriculum vitae was demanded with WS. Today, career changers and drop-outs are also welcome.

Advertising
Today it is much stronger and more conspicuous. As an example a poster was shown with a lightly dressed attractive woman with a steel chain, next to it was the question: Passion for steel? „This is what we should have done a few years ago
not done,“ said Thomas Schaumann, managing partner. Today things are different: you have to attract attention, be visible. This also includes being present at the training exchange in the Schützenhalle (this year in June).

The employees of WS
WS has trained more in recent years – despite fewer applicants. In the last ten years, the number of trainees has risen from 9 to 23. The number of employees has risen by almost ten percent over the same period, from 270 to 300.

What the city says
Mayor Ulrich Schulte addressed the problem that applicants from Schalksmühle or Halver are currently not able to reach their home at the moment because of the distance alone.
would fall out. „We need to discuss this with the industry,“ he explained. Possibly incentives could be created
to move to Plettenberg for the duration of the training.

No studies
In the round it became clear: Not everyone is suitable for a study. And today it is no longer necessary to study anyway to get a „good five-digit income“, said Krummenerl. Career is possible
for example about an apprenticeship at WS. The round confirmed that an internship was a good opportunity to try it out.

Assistance
If you don’t get along, you can get help. Career advisor Arthur Weiss brought assisted training into play. This can be improved with coaching and tuition. „This is a good offer for pupils,“ explained Weiss.

(Photo Credit: Jona Wiechowski)